The present invention relates to orthopedic devices, more specifically to an orthopedic glove for use with arthritically stricken hands.
Arthritis is a crippling disease which affects the joints. Literally, arthritis means "inflammation of the joint" and it can occur in any joint of the body. Of principle interest are those forms of arthritis which afflict the joints of the hand, of which the most prominent forms are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile arthritis. It is estimated that these types of arthritis afflict millions of people in the United States alone.
While the cause of arthritis is unknown, its effect is to continually weaken and destroy the bones, cartilage and other associated tissue of the affected joint. As the various joint tissues degrade, the joint becomes inflamed making movement difficult and painful, which causes the associated muscle tissue to tighten, thus further restricting the joint mobility. The overall effect of the inflammation and degradation of the joint tissues, along with the tightening of the associated muscle tissues, is to cause the movement of that joint to become increasingly more difficult.
Since the effects of arthritis are progressive, if the disease is not checked early by proper treatment the inflammation and the stiffening of the joint becomes increasingly worse. The damage to the various tissues of the joint can become so pronounced that the joint becomes disfigured and in the most severe cases begins to assume a grotesque appearance.
While there is no known cure for arthritis, by instituting and faithfully following a treatment program during the early stages of the disease, the associated damage to the joint bones and the related tissue may be minimized. Such treatment programs include medication, exercise, rest, surgery, heat and rehabilitation. The purposes of the various treatments are to relieve both the pain and to prevent any further damage to the joint tissue by reducing the associated inflammation. The institution of a treatment program early in the development of the disease minimizes the potential of the joints becoming deformed, thus allowing the joints to move and function properly.
A particularly useful treatment for arthritis, particularly when the arthritis afflicts the hands, is to immobilize the afflicted joints, for example, the fingers and the wrist. This immobilization relaxes the muscles, preventing them from tightening up and causing further damage to the joints. Immobilization also reduces the inflammation, which reduces damage to that joint.
Immobilization of the afflicted joints can be concurrently carried out with other treatment programs, such as the application of heat to the joint, which further reduces inflammation. Medication may also be prescribed to reduce inflammation. Thus, while each particular treatment program alone may provide a desired effect, by combining various treatment programs, e.g., the immobilization of the joint, the application of heat to the joint and the use of medication, a pronounced reduction in the extreme results of arthritis is obtained, that is, joint deformity.
The afflicted joint may be immobilized by simply bracing the joint against movement. This can be accomplished by securing a splint to the limb or to that portion of the body at which the afflicted joint lies; for example, a splint can be secured about one or more of the fingers to immobilize the afflicted joints of those particular fingers. Various devices have been developed which can be fitted on the hand to immobilize the fingers and, if desired, the wrist. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,220,476 issued to Ujdur; 1,708,757 issued to Freileweh; 1,817,212 issued to Siebrandt; 2,438,144 issued to Bunyar, Jr.; and 4,173,218 issued to Cronin.
Generally, the devices disclosed by these patents include a rigid member which is fastened to the hand for immobilizing both the wrist and one or more of the fingers. The primary application for most of the disclosed devices is in restraining the movement of the hand and wrist in order to prevent even the slightest flexing of the fingers or wrist when one or more bones have been broken. While with arthritis it is desirable to restrict movement of the various joints, it is also known that complete immobilization may result in muscular atrophy, which in turn results in muscular contractions that disfigure the knuckles of the fingers even further.
The only device which allows for some movement of the finger joints is that device disclosed by Cronin; however, the Cronin device, which is a glove-like envelope that is filled with a fluid, is awkward to use and would be difficult and expensive to construct. One advantage of the Cronin device is that by forming the glove-like envelope with vents and/or heating elements, the fluid can be heated or cooled to further reduce joint inflammation. However, this modification to the Cronin device would even further make such device awkward to use and difficult to construct.
Thus, while presently available devices may be utilized to restrict the movement of the hand and wrist and thus reduce inflammation, there exists the need to provide a device which can be easily fitted on the hand and not present the disadvantages of the discussed devices.